test kits and phosphates.

[Dimdim]

okay, so here is a wierd one for all you PO4 haters out there.
i tested my newly mixed ro di saltwater with api saltwater phosphate test kit. got a reading of 1 ppm. was astonished. i was confused, so i tested the source water with a freshwater card, source ro di freshwater read 10 ppm.
holy smokes! what the heck?! so heres what i did, i tested the phosphates coming out of my tap water on the other line that the ro di is diverted from. and my rading is less than .25 id say closer to .09. im ordering a tds meter to measure the tds of my tap. and any ideas as to why my ro di would be increasing phosphates in my water??!?!?!?!

 

[Dimdim]

I have a 6 stage ro di. For some reason my ro di is increasing my phosphate levels drastically. It is the 6 stage 100 gpd brand new system. Im very unhappy now and i am debating on doing any water changes.. Input water is less then.25 phosphates and supposed good ro do is 10ppm. HELPPP

 

[fort384]

Wow, that is crazy. Are you sure the test is accurate? Have you repeated the results? They do expire.

I am not sure how a standard carbon block/sediment filter and RO membrane, and DI filter could possibly add PO4 to the water.

 

[Dimdim]

The test kit was purchased on boxing day , and i just repeated the test. I also did a search, and using a liquid phosphate test on fresh ro di water may make it innaccurate anyways, due to the issues of ro di water being so unstable, and will grab on to any charges ionically to get back to its orginal state, even co2 in the air around us can affect it... I guess ill have to wait till my tds meter gets here. I tested my reef salt mix and all salt mixes carry a bit of phosphates, and i noticed since i switched from distilled to my own ro di, that whatever hair algae i did have has bushed up but not spread